Cliches
by Lightning Streak
Summary: Because sometimes, you just can't beat the classics... DxS
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own DP._

_Well, for the past couple of weeks, my mind has totally sidetracked itself...again... :) And this little story is the product. I think it will have only two or three chapters, give or take. Speaking of which, I'm still working on all of my other stories..._

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**Cliches**

**Chapter 1**

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It was a dark and stormy night.

Now, despite that obvious cliché, it really wasn't storming. "Storming" assumed lightning and thunder, and neither proved to be the case. Both had yet to buck horns with the sky, and if the weather was to be accurately described, one could say that it was just "heavily raining."

Disproving this cliché once again, it _also_ wasn't dark. It was about one o' clock in the afternoon according to Amity Park's clock tower, and the world wasn't surrounded by black. Rather, the clouds were bleak gray, as if too tired to actually put forth the energy to be anything else.

And so technically, it really wasn't even _night. _

Thus, the cliché should be appropriately switched to, "It was a bleak and rainy day," if someone really wanted to be accurate. However, that somehow dampened the overall effects. It wasn't quite as visually appealing, all things considered, and the phrase "it was a dark and stormy night" just had too much tradition behind it to be abandoned.

And so, it remains as the first sentence to this story.

It _was_, however, raining cats and dogs. Metaphorically, of course, but it was as close to the truth as one could get.

The clouds had rolled in at around eleven that morning, bringing forth the promise of much needed rain. Yet the slight drizzle quickly became a steady downpour of raindrops as the day dragged on, and that steady downpour quickly tripled its speed.

By midday, the rain could legally be considered a monsoon, it was raining so hard.

As a matter of fact, it became _so_ torrential that perhaps a poor mammal really _did_ fall from the sky.

And so, at one o' clock in the afternoon, the rain still hadn't let up, and most sane people kept to the inside of their homes, bailing out water from the second story window.

By 1:30, the cats and dogs still weren't tired of sky-diving at high altitudes in their raindrop form, and were obviously having the time of their lives. Thick, silver sheets of rain just poured down from the sky with no end in sight.

It was a known fact that all who dared to venture outside were either blind or suicidal.

A certain Samantha Manson was among one of these people.

Of course, she really wasn't blind nor was she suicidal, despite the above statement. But then again, she had never really fit into just one category of stereotype, and so it was fitting to be an unconformity.

Nevertheless, a part of her wished that she had stayed inside.

Okay, scratch that: she _really_ wished that she had stayed inside.

_I hate this_, she gritted her teeth as she hurriedly ran down the sidewalk_. I should have just stayed home today and skipped this whole mess! _Her black umbrella bobbed a bit as uneven buckets of water gleefully dumped themselves on her only defense, and her sandaled feet were soaked to the bone by the overflow off the street.

Actually, she was soaked to the bone all the way up to her knees; it was just that her feet that were constantly under water. Her senses were water-logged, and her normally clean black hair was plastered to the back of her neck.

She flicked her violet eyes up to see a distant stoplight turn red.

At twenty-four years old, the successful business woman had been returning from work in her car. It was all sunshine and happy rainbows until she had entered the outskirts of Amity Park, which by then the streets were overflowing.

She had switched on her windshield wipers, but it just wasn't enough. And at the rate rain was falling, her car would get wiped off the road.

After a few moments of anxiousness, Sam finally decided to just pull over. It wasn't worth it to get literally washed off the road, and the water on the roads could have easily submerged her Mercedes' tires.

_Just my luck. _

Unfortunately, Sam didn't have all day. She was supposed to catch an airplane to meet up with her fellow CEOs, but while her plane didn't take off for another day, she still had to pack and whatnot.

All she wanted to do was get home.

Was that such a crime? Did Fate really hate her _that _much?

Her once smart looking business outfit, complete with a black skirt and black jacket, now clung to her body, thoroughly soaked. Convinced that she looked like a drowned rat, she figured that she couldn't possibly look any worse.

She was miserable, she was cold, and she promised herself to never again read a story that began with, "It was a dark and stormy night."

_I bet someone's getting a good laugh out of my pain…_

Sam found herself currently on the sidewalks of downtown Amity Park, surrounded by closed cafes and stores. There was no place open for her to run to, and it seemed that all the shop owners weren't about to change their minds.

_Why _did she abandon her nice, dry car?

She looked down at her wrist-watch. 1:09 P.M, it read, the waterproof, digital numbers staring back up at her. _I need to get home…_She bit her lip in a slight worry, her sharp eyes noting how only a few others were running for cover. The streets had seemingly been cleared of all human life, and only every once in a while did she see a figure desperately sprint down the sidewalk.

If she were smart, she would have followed in their example. Unfortunately, Sam had somewhat of a stubborn streak in her, and refused to partake in such a desperate attack. It was just _rain_, you know…

That, and it was sort of hard to run in stilettos.

Nevertheless, her pace had quickened the slightest degree, as if subconsciously agreeing with her fellow humans. A few times she even slipped, which did nothing to improve her heartbeat. Rather, it made Sam wonder if she could possibly have a heart attack right then.

And then, out of absolutely nowhere, something fizzled into the edges of her peripheral vision. It was sort of odd sight, actually.

She had just reached an intersection within the heart of Amity Park, and by that time, her endurance (or whatever was left of it) had basically disappeared. The rain beating down on her definitely wasn't giving up anytime soon.

Anyway, she had stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and unknowingly risked a glance to the other side of the street.

And there it was.

Actually, what she saw really wasn't an _it_. Rather, it was a _him_.

The man appeared to be in just as much of a hurry as she was. He was also just as waterlogged, and it looked like the newspaper he was using as a make-shift umbrella was about to fall apart. Newspapers were notoriously infamous for doing that, you know. Especially in rain.

He crossed the street at a sprinting pace, flinging large puddles in every direction. And then, for a reason unknown to Fanfiction, he looked up, and Sam caught his baby blue gaze.

Actually, wait a minute; that _was _a reason known to Fanfiction. What would a parody of clichés be without the most classic one of them all?

However, considering the fact that it was still raining cats and dogs, Sam couldn't exactly _see_ very well, and the author was willing to bet that the man couldn't see either.

So technically, it was like the cliché never happened.

Again.

But disregarding that, Sam, who was still trying to gather up her energy, had leaned up against the building behind her. The over hang of the roof provided a small space of relief from the rain, and she was taking full advantage of it. She wiped the water from her eyes, and squeezed as much water from her ponytail as possible.

_This is cruel, unusual punishment for just wanting to get home…_

Her poor umbrella was thankful for the short rest. However, considering the fact that inanimate objects are inanimate for a reason, the umbrella could not actually _express_ its thanks. So, it resorted to shivering in the wind.

Or maybe that was just an involuntary action. This author can't really tell the difference.

"Uh, excuse me…Miss?"

At the sound of the voice, Sam snapped out of her reverie and came face to face with someone. Unsurprisingly, it was the man who had been running in the rain with a newspaper.

And _surprisingly_, he really did have baby blue eyes.

Thick, black locks nearly covered those eyes, however, and it seemed the man had a hard time keeping said locks out of his vision. The fact that his hair was matted to his skin probably had something to do with it, Sam guessed.

Her own hair was doing the same thing.

"Look, I'm sorry to bother you," he said, breathless from running, "but I need to ask you a really big favor…" At that, his tenor voice trailed off, and uncertainty pooled into his gaze. "C-can you share your umbrella with me?"

…Silence…

…Well, she _really _didn't see that one coming. As a matter of fact, his question sort of threw Sam off balance. But since she worked with rather odd people, she was used to it, and she gained her mental footing back in a heartbeat.

Sam couldn't help but answer dryly in return, "What, are you afraid of melting in the rain?"

And by that statement alone, it was pretty easy to tell that communication was _not _one of her finer points.

Unfortunately, the man wasn't much better.

"P-please?" he stuttered out. He lifted up the tattered remains of his newspaper in one hand, and the clean, crisp papers of a report in the other. "I just came from the library, and I'm trying to keep the ink from blurring."

Now, whether he was stuttering from cold, or whether he was just really shy, she wasn't sure. Either way…

…Something about him reminded Sam of someone…

Her eyes narrowed. _Wait a minute…_

Then, it hit her. Her eyes widened in shock. _No __**way**_ Almost tentatively, she whispered, "Danny?"

The man looked taken aback. "Hey, how'd ya know that was my-?" And then he suddenly cut himself off. _No __**way**__…She's__-__I mean, I think… _His eyes searched hers, and his jaw dropped. "…Sam?"

Suddenly, the dry edge in Sam's voice disappeared, and her eyes lit up. "Danny!" Without even thinking, she dropped her umbrella and literally launched herself at Danny. Her arms wrapped around him and she squeezed him for all that he was worth. "Oh my God, I can't believe it's you!"

Instantly, she felt a strong pair of arms return the favor, pulling her closer. "Hey, Sam!" Danny laughed good-naturedly. He set his wet forehead against hers. "I see you missed me?"

"Of course, you big goof," Sam said dryly. But the expression on her face couldn't stay serious for long. A wide, content smile broke out on her pretty features, and she snuggled closer to Danny.

Which, in all honesty, was something that Danny really didn't mind. It was also something _Sam_ didn't mind, either.

Secretively, they both enjoyed it a little _too_ much to be just friends.

"So," he voiced jokingly, "what is Miss I'm-a-big-CEO-now doing back in boring, old Amity Park? Was the city life too much for ya?"

The girl in his arms smiled at his description, although she attempted to look mad.

Survey said it didn't work. "I got the rest of the day off," she shrugged. "And what are you doing here? I thought you would be up in space somewhere?"

At that, the astronaut-in-training blushed a bit. "Well, I've got a long ways before that'll happen." He motioned to the now crumpled, wet, and blurry-inked report floating on the sidewalk (which he had accidentally let go of when Sam hugged him), and a small grimace appeared on his handsome features. "I'm still doing research." A somewhat defeated, sad expression fell on his face as he stared at his hard work.

It never stood a chance against the elements.

Sam risked a glance at the ground beside them, and then wished she hadn't. She let go of Danny and bent down to pick the report up, feeling a little guilty. Unfortunately, the moment she tried to pick it up, the printer paper literally fell apart. The blurred ink washed away in the rain, and all that was left was a crumpled, soggy blob.

In retrospect, it was comparable to a wet paper towel.

Her eyes widened. "Oops…" She looked back up at Danny, looking like the kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar. "I uh, I didn't mean to do that…"

Her friend gave one last forlorn look at his destroyed paper, and then sighed. "Eh, I've got it saved on my computer at home. I had just run out of printer paper…" _Thank God, _he thought silently. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. _I would have been in __**big**__ trouble otherwise…_

Sam just smiled sheepishly and stood back up. "Well then, good thing this was only a copy" she said, biting her lip. "I don't think that paper will ever be the same again…"

She looked up at Danny, who in turn looked down at her. And then, it hit her.

"Danny, did you grow _again_?" Sam felt her neck cramp as she looked up at him. What was he now? Six three? Six four?

A strange, teasing little smirk curled Danny's lips, and he playfully told her, "Well, maybe _you_ just _shrunk_."

Sam's eyes narrowed conspiratorially. "Why, I oughta-"

But then Danny cut her off, placing a finger on Sam's lips. "Aww, come on, Sammy! You know I'm just joking…" She gave him a pointed look, but said nothing in return. Danny just smiled sheepishly. "Well, before you kill me, can I have a last request?"

"And what's your request?" Sam countered mock-seriously.

"Hmm…" Danny hummed a bit in deep thought and tapped his chin. The twinkle in his eye sparkled a little too brightly for Sam's comfort, so she began slowly inching away.

Unfortunately, it was too late to run.

"How 'bout… a _hug_?" the boy suddenly proclaimed dramatically. He swept Sam up into bone-crushing embrace before she could get away, and he wrapped his lanky arms around her form.

"I missed you so much, Sammy…" he whispered in her ear, all remnants of gallantry and mockery gone. Seriousness had taken its place.

"I missed you too…"

And then, suddenly, it was just them.

Just Sam and Danny.

The rest of the world didn't matter. Well, actually, it _di_d, but that wasn't the current point. As a matter of fact, _nothing_ had a point. Nothing mattered. Not the rain, not their soaked clothes, or even the fact that they were standing in calf-high water.

It was just, for one moment of their lives, they felt _happy. _

They felt _together. _

For once.

The two held each other in a warm, tight embrace. Sam leaned her head against Danny's chest, and Danny rested his chin on Sam's head.

The rain fell on them in a torrent, but the only shelter they sought was each other's arms.

Ah, a cliché at last…

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, you can rest assured that this particular cliché actually did indeed happen. As a matter of fact, it would have taken over fourteen years in a time machine, another umbrella, and some _very_ heavy-duty hallucinogens just to _reverse_ it.

It was one of those inevitable things, you know…

Nevertheless, it was an inevitability more precious than time itself.

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o.O.o.O.o.O.o

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_Evil…plot…bunnies…_

_(Twitch.) _

_No cats or dogs were harmed in the making of this fanfic._

_Updated: Friday, January 25, 2008_

_Inspiration: Umbrella by Rihanna_

_Thanks for Reading!_

_Lightning Streak_

**_Please Review:)_**


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: No own DP._

_Thank you all for the reviews! _

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**Cliches**

**Chapter 2**

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Sam looked up into Danny's eyes. She cracked a smile as she tucked away a lock of his matted hair behind his ear. "Lovely weather we're having, huh?" she voiced dryly. The rain around them fell in such dense silver sheets that it was hard to see more than three feet away. They were both soaked to the bone, and shivering from lack of dry clothes. Beads of water trailed down their faces, and their hair dripped from the constant onslaught.

Danny pulled Sam into another hug, slyly trying to steal her body heat. "Well, I don't know; it's not so bad," he replied good-naturedly. "After all, it did bring you to me…"

Sam swatted his shoulder. "Oh, come on! It hasn't been _that _long since I've seen you…" _Has it? _

A hint of sadness spiraled into the man's blue eyes. "Six months is _way_ too long for me, Sam." He set his forehead on hers. "I was kinda beginning to wonder if you were ever coming back…"

Sam stared into his eyes, her own pair reflecting nothing but truth. "I'll always come back for _you, _Danny…You know that, right?" she asked him honestly. "You're my best friend; I could never leave you." A small, sly little smile lit her face. "And in plus, we all know you couldn't even separate your _laundry_ without my help."

At that, they broke apart, and Danny's expression grew indignant. "Hey, I'm still _learning_, okay?" he pouted childishly. "Just 'cause I'm a little colorblind doesn't mean anything…"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "But you're not colorblind."

"So?" Danny stuck his nose up in the air. "Still doesn't mean anything," he said defensively.

Sam rolled her eyes at him, and replied with a, "Yeah, right…" She looked up at him with a smug grin. "You're just helpless without me, admit it!"

"I am _not_ helpless!" Danny protested indignantly, face faulting. "I had to scale a cliff the other day in training; how is that _helpless_?"

In return, the woman tapped a finger on her chin and furrowed her eyebrows. "Or maybe _hopeless _was the word," she mumbled under her breath, but was just loud enough for Danny to hear.

"Sa-_am_!" Danny whined. "Stop teasing me…" He stuck out his lower lip and pouted, crossing his arms.

She bit her lip to keep from giggling, and then held her hands up as if to say, 'I surrender.' "Okay, okay!" she relented with a slightly chuckle. "I guess I just haven't had anyone to make fun of for a while…Will you forgive me?"

Danny looked at her, as if weighing the pros and cons. And then, he sighed dramatically. "Well, I suppose so…"

He winked at her to say 'no hard feelings.'

And after that, their witty banter and remarks died down. As they casually walked through the pouring rain, they talked of their jobs, how their family was, and other things like that. Six months really _was_ a long time, and the amount of stuff they had to talk about was never-ending.

Still, due to the fact that they were in the equivalent of a monsoon, they kept an eye out for an open store, or any place where they could escape the rain.

It continued to pour on the currently flooding Amity Park, and the water levels began rising. They began jogging through the streets, trying to find a refuge.

Sam distantly wondered how much insurance would cover for flood damage.

Of course, considering the gross amount of money she pulled in a year, she figured it wouldn't matter.

Nevertheless, someplace _dry _sounded too heavenly to be true.

And then…_salvation. _

Just up ahead, a small café stood on a hill. A nice, still-not-flooded, hill. And an "open" sign was flashing in the window.

It was one of those _du ex machina _things.

Sam turned to face Danny, and Danny turned to face Sam, the same idea popping into their heads. One glance said all, and they both nodded. Like little kids pretending to be secret agents, a mischievous smile lit their faces. "I'll race ya," Danny whispered in her ear.

"And I'll beat you," Sam childishly retaliated.

Then, without the aid of an air gun, they both shot off at the same time.

It was actually quite comical, had anyone been watching them. There they were, twenty-and something year olds, acting like they were five again.

Danny, being in astronaut boot camp, finally stood a chance against Sam.

And Sam, who was wearing stilettos, was considerably slowed down. She hopped on one foot, trying to slip out of them. Yet by some miracle, she managed to do so, and she instantly picked up her pace. The umbrella she carried swung haphazardly in her grip, flinging water drops into the rain's path.

Danny wasn't too far ahead, and Sam tried to match his speed. Water splashed every which-way, and it sent large waves rippling through the street.

A few of the cats and dogs that were falling from the sky had to avert their path to avoid them.

The two friends laughed and carried on, splashing each other as they stomped through the streets. Clumsy limbs wove through the small flood. And, in a matter of seconds, Danny tripped rather haphazardly through the water, and ended up sprawled out on his butt, arms flailing in a failed attempt to stay upright.

At any rate, it was easily a comical sight. The Marx brothers would have been proud.

Sam playfully laughed and stuck out her tongue, easily catching up her friend. "Catch me if you can!" she cried out against the rain.

Lightning struck the sky at the exact moment that Danny performed the most amazing feat of his entire athletic career. In one swift move, he twisted around and caught Sam by the ankle, jerking her leg backwards.

In consequence, Sam fell back with a shriek beside him, and Danny turned away his head to avoid getting splashed. The CEO landed, like Danny had done, on her butt and smacked down on her palms. She was stunned at first, but the feeling quickly wore off.

With that, Danny had signed his death warrant. "Danny!" she yelped. "You cheater!" She peeled her hands off the cement and splashed Danny with all her might. "You're not supposed to drown your competition!" Unknown to Sam, her poor, neglected umbrella drifted downstream, never to be seen again.

It was crying at the current moment.

Danny proceeded to splash her back, and retorted with the notoriously mock-worthy, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!" Sam mocked back. She cupped her hands together and scooped up a handful of water, throwing it in Danny's face.

Utter silence followed for a second as Danny wiped the water from his eyes (which didn't help very much considering it was _raining_.) But then, an evil little smirk replaced his shock, and his eyes narrowed. "Oh, it's on."

And thus, it began.

Without warning, Danny soaked Sam with a big splash, and Sam instantly returned the favor. There stood at least nine or ten inches of rain on that street, and it provided just enough ammo for a water fight.

Which was exactly what broke out.

Of course, it didn't exactly help that Amity sat within a deep valley. The town was getting the worst of the brunt while the surrounding cities enjoyed minimal flooding. The inhabitants of Amity called it unfair; the others blamed it on bad luck.

Whatever the reason was for the flooding, both Sam and Danny were inwardly thankful for it.

The sky poured apocalyptic amounts of rain, and there they were, soaking themselves even more than they were before. Uh, if that was even possible, that is…

Never mind the fact that they were in the middle of a street, and would have been road kill by now under normal circumstances.

However, as it is written, all good things must come to an end (which, personally, the author believes is just a way for all the Higher-ups to mooch the fun.) And after a moment of their childish impulse for a water fight, Sam began to shiver a bit, and Danny caught it with his perceptive vision.

Their splashes died down, and they both relaxed their arms from their valiant battle. By that time, and considering the tilt of the street, they were a little more than up to their belly buttons in water. Sitting down on the street, anyway.

Sam glanced ruefully at the cobblestone street she was sitting on, and then at her pant-legs, which were completely submerged. "This was such an expensive suit," she lamented sadly. "If I had known I'd meet you here, I would've just worn my old jeans…"

And at that, Danny looked up at her with one eyebrow raised. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked curiously.

Sam sighed, looking up to feel the rain on her face, "Every time I meet up with you, my clothes always get ruined somehow. Whether its from grass stains, spilled chocolate syrup, or grape juice, it always happens when you're around." Sam sighed once more, only more dramatically. "I swear, your subconscious conspires against me…"

"It conspires against _me, _actually," Danny returned thoughtfully. "I think that's where all my bad luck comes from."

The woman's lips curled up into a smile, "Your guess is as good as mine." She lifted her hand out of the water and held it out. "Now help me get up so we can go to that café and dry off."

She tried to hide a shiver, but failed miserably.

Danny slowly stood up, and buckets of water rolled off his red sleeves and jeans. He grasped Sam's small hand with a firm grip, and gently helped her up. "Your wish is my command, Milady," he said gallantly, playing the part of the knight in shining armor.

Unfortunately, Danny couldn't stay serious for long.

And, just as Sam got her footing, he let go of her hand and began running, leaving Sam

"What are you doing?" she yelled incredulously over the rain.

"We're racing, remember?" Danny called over his shoulder.

And then…

Sam's eyes widened. "Oh, dangit!" And she tore after him like the devil was on her heels.

The comical thing about it, however, was not the fact that they were running. No, actually, the fact that they _couldn't _run was comical. The water carried a resistance with its flood, and the calf-deep water was hard to wade through.

Nevertheless, Sam somehow managed to catch up with Danny. And Danny somehow managed to not trip.

By that time, the café was in clear view. It was an old café, one that looked especially family oriented, with a large overhang you could sit under while on the waiting list. The large building looked to be made entirely of wood, and the hill it rested upon was laden with pretty flower pots and stone sidewalks.

All of this was completely disregarded by the main characters, though. They already knew the scenery; it didn't matter anymore.

Actually, considering the fact that they were acting like kids, _nothing_ mattered.

In the meantime, Danny had pulled ahead of Sam courtesy of his long legs. He took long, powerful strides which helped to cover more ground; something that he could finally be thankful for. Being a string bean actually had its advantages!

He jumped off the street and onto the sidewalk, Sam not far behind. With one more stride, Danny's feet connected with the grass, and he began running up the sloped hill.

Unfortunately, the grass was slippery. And whenever something was slippery, it just subconsciously begged Danny to fall.

And, subconsciously, he complied.

His tennis shoes couldn't grip on the wet grass, and Danny could feel himself sliding. And it didn't take long to get out of hand. After only a moment, his feet flew right out from under him, and Danny reeled backwards.

"Ack!" he yelped, his eyes wide. And with that, he landed rather unceremoniously on his butt. Again.

Quite a self-fulfilling prophecy, if I do say so myself.

He backslid a bit on the hill, and it took him a second to get reoriented. Yet by the time he looked up, Sam had shot passed him like a bullet, and was currently looking over her shoulder to check if he was okay.

In the course of seconds, Danny weighed the pros and cons of getting up and chasing after Sam. But all paths ended in defeat. He decided it was hopeless; Sam was too far ahead.

And so with that depressing sentiment, Danny sighed. (which, in all honesty, was hard to do in torrential down pour…)

"Alright, alright!" he called out, defeated. "You win…" He shook his head to fling the hair out of his eyes, and he dejectedly flicked a blob of mud off his cheek. _Beautiful, _he thought sarcastically. He lifted his other hand from the mud with a _slurp, _wrestling with the suction of the mud before gaining full possession of his hand. Almost pathetically, he lifted his eyes up to the sky, like a poor puppy begging. _Why God, why? _He was caked with mud from the waist down, and his fall had splattered globs of it onto his arms and chest.

His physical appearance had definitely seen better days.

"Need some help?"

He looked up to see Sam returning back for him. She walked over a few more steps and then held out her hand. Danny gratefully accepted the help, and he slowly stood up.

"Well," he said with a weak smile, "I guess you weren't kidding when you said I ruin clothes." He looked down at his clothes, noting the mud stains.

"Eh, it's only a bad habit," Sam offered as comfort, shrugging. "You'll grow out of it when you're older…"

Danny shot her an indignant look.

"…or not," the woman added, stifling a giggle. "You know, you shouldn't look mad; it makes you look…" she trailed off, biting her lip in contemplation. She just couldn't think of the right word.

"What?" the male wondered curiously. "Makes me look like what?" His eyes, however, suddenly sparked with a sly glint. "Handsome?" he supplied deviously. "Gorgeous? Sexy?"

Then, the word came to Sam. "…Constipated," she decided finally, tapping her chin.

Danny face-faulted.

"Thanks, Sam…Thanks a lot…"

Sam patted his back comfortingly. "Your welcome."

Danny pulled away from her touch. "You're so _mean," _he said dramatically. "I don't think I can forgive you for that…" He wheeled around and turned up his nose.

"Well fine, Mr. Superior Pants," Sam bantered back. "I guess this means you don't need me anymore…" She crossed her arms, turning away from him.

But Danny couldn't miss her cold shiver.

Out of the corner of his eye, the boy saw Sam hugging her arms for warmth rather than for conversational emphasis. He could nearly hear her teeth chatter.

Or was that _his_ teeth chattering? Had it gotten cold outside or what?

An awkward silence had fallen over the two, and soon Danny was debating whether or not to break it. A small shiver of his own raced down his spine. And somewhere, deep inside of him, a memory of Sam's warm hugs teased his mind.

He couldn't take it.

"Hey, Sammy?"

The woman turned around, and came face to face with the most pathetic expression she'd ever seen. Big, baby blue eyes swelled to the size of dinner platters, and for a second, she wondered if Danny was gonna ask for a cookie.

Almost hesitantly, Sam replied, "Yeah?"

Danny's eyes grew bit bluer, a bit more serious. "I'll forgive you, if you do one thing for me."

A chill ran down Sam's spine, but she wasn't sure if it was from the cold, or if it was from Danny's expression.

"Can I have a hug?"

And at that, Sam couldn't refuse. "You're such a dork," she smiled softly. She wrapped her arms around him, and instantly she was bombarded by his warmth. She rested her head against his chest. "But that's okay, because that's what makes you _you_."

"Yay," Danny whispered softly in her ear.

Sam huddled closer to him, trying to steal his body heat. "You're warm," she whispered to him, shivering uncontrollably.

"Are you kidding me?" Danny asked. "I'm f-freezing! _You're_ the warm one…" And, just to prove his point, he pulled Sam closer, wrapping his lanky arms around her and soaking in her body heat.

Sam just closed her tired eyes and leaned her head against his chest. "Eh, well then, let's just agree to disagree…" She didn't really want to end up in another witty banter, and she feared that her mind had currently used up all of its "witty comeback" brownie points.

She just wanted to enjoy the feel of Danny's arms around her.

Not that _she'd_ say anything.

Of course.

But either way, a feeling of guilt wormed its way through her heart, and Sam suddenly felt a spark of pain.

__

Danny's my best friend...

She wasn't supposed to be in love with him.

The woman reluctantly pulled away from Danny's warm hug. "Come on," she said, her smile masking a bit of her sadness. She jerked her head in the direction of the building. "Let's go inside and get dried off."

And Danny, who was completely oblivious of Sam's reasoning, just tagged along with a grin on his face. Yet, he slipped his hand around her's, and gently cradled her palm within his.

Sam suddenly felt like smiling and crying at the same time.

A short while later, their slow steps neared the building. Their shoes squeaked as they walked up the wooden steps and under the overhang of the building's roof, and buckets of rain seemed to roll off their poor clothes.

Soft lights from the café poured from the glass windows, lighting the porch with a hazy glow.

"Hey Sam?"

Blinking away tears, the girl tried to hide her sadness and managed a weak smile. "Yeah?"

Suddenly, Danny spun her around. He looked straight into her eyes, searching with such depth that Sam could see the emotions in his eyes. Rain drops beaded from his hair, and the steady downpour echoed in the background. He smiled lopsidedly, that signature sign of mischief. "I hope you don't kill me for this…"

And he kissed her.

Needless to say, she kissed back.

* * *

Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, with every story comes a moral. And with every moral comes a certain fact of life. In this particular story, one thing stood resolute:

There was just some things in life money couldn't buy.

But for everything else, there was MasterCard…

* * *

_Yay! Completion!_

_I hope you enjoyed this two-shot. :) It was actually pretty fun to write. I hope people other than me know what I'm talking about with the "MasterCard" thing. You know, the commercials?_

**1.) How was the general flow of words/sentences?**

**2.) Characters in character?**

**3.) Any other comments?**

_Thank you for reading,_

_Lightning Streak_

**Please Review!**


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